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Interview with "Scream Queen" Brooke Lewis

You join me dear viewer in an LA health resort in the sauna no less, Kensington always goes that little bit further to get the "hot exclusive interviews."

This week I am happy and feeling quite a bit hot under the towel to be interviewing talented young "Scream Queen" bubbly, beautiful Brooke Lewis star of cult horror classic "Slime City Massacre" and her own TV Series "Ms Vampy".

Brooke, thank you for joining me in the sauna hope it doesn't get too hot and steamy in here for the both of us, my glasses are steaming up just looking at you.

KG: You've been chosen Mistress Macabre-Con, Sinister Girl of 2009, Scream Queen of The Month November 2008 and GOREZONE MAGAZINE chose you as their GOREMATE August 2010, sounds like we were destined to meet. As there are brains that go along with your considerable beauty; are you okay with the title "Scream Queen?"

BL: First, thank you for your kind words! Second, it is my honor to have had the title “Scream Queen” bestowed upon me several years ago. My definition of a Scream Queen is “A strong, sexy, powerful actress working in the horror genre.”

KG: You've done quite a few lower budget movies. I come from a different era of the studio. In the low budget film world it seems you have to work twice as hard. For example you act, you write and produce, is there anything you wouldn't do to get a film made?

BL: Kenny, at this point in my life and career, there is A LOT I wouldn’t do to get a film made!!! A few years ago, it was a different story, but I have grown and learned a lot from my mistakes. Producing indie films is no easy task. Most of the films I have been involved in producing were all in the $1 Million budget range, so I don’t even know how the younger generation of filmmakers today are doing it on these micro-budgets for like $30K. There is so much “blood, sweat and tears” involved that one’s passion and commitment to indie filmmaking has to be 150%! Today, I am very clear about what I choose to produce or even act in, for that matter. I want to stay true to myself, what feeds my soul and what makes me happy!

KG: May I touch on Nudity? It's okay your towel is in place, sadly. I mean nudity on set, are you okay with it?

BL: Mr Gore, did your hand slip again??? ;) LOL! As you know, I have never done nudity. That is/was my choice! I have tons of actress friends both in/out of horror who have done nudity and I respect them and their choices just the same. Whatever works for you and feels good to you is what is right! I have done sex scenes fairly clothed in a few films and they felt “right” to me, because they moved the story or were necessary for the character. If there is nudity, I simply prefer it to have some artistic value.

KG: You don't mind the Director being nude? I directed Creature of the Bog totally nude, which some found strange as there was no nudity in the film... Robert De Niro is very famous for his "method acting," I'm a method Director in "Kiss the Mummy's Ring" I did the shoot swathed in bandages; did cause a problem as no one could hear me yell cut! Do you use the "method?"

BL: Kenny sweety, you are too much! I studied acting in college and New York, but I am not as “method” trained, as I’d like to be. My favorite teaching term is “Acting is highly alert specific behavior under imaginary circumstances.” I do use “method” acting with sensory work when needed. Sadly, I don’t always get offered the “meaty” roles that require intense method acting.

KG: You created Philly Chick Pictures, to increase opportunities in front of the camera as well as behind it? Do you feel there are not enough women in the film industry or good enough roles for women?

BL: In 2002, I created Philly Chick Pictures to "produce entertainment with an attitude". My movie career started as an actress in low budget independent films in NYC. I was always the actress with a ton of energy and a business brain, who would call in a favor to attach talent, crew, locations or think fast enough to do damage control on a set. After doing this work for other people's companies or projects and not being credited or compensated properly, I finally realized that I had been "producing" all along! I learned that I have a creative soul and a business mind, so I started Philly Chick Pictures to further my acting and producing career, make films with an edge and find and develop strong roles for women.
I believe the entertainment industry is still a male-dominated business, but I also believe that strong, smart and sexy women have an easier time becoming successful in the film industry! I have witnessed a lot of powerful, skilled, talented and driven women get their day in the sun in the horror genre in the last several years and I expect to see this continue in a big way. I think we will see more female directors explode in this decade!

KG: What are your views on movies on the web? I know Spiderman was a hit. Do you think that is next big thing? What does the future hold for you?

BL: I know that the internet IS the future of entertainment! Every show will have its own little built-in movie theatre and everything will hook up to our flat screen TVs. The youth of today are all about variety and choices and this will offer them just that (along with more ADD!!!). Look, I was one of the early ones to create my “Ms. Vampy” web series in 2008. I launched my second web series “Ms. Vampy’s Tween Tawk, Teen Tawk & In Between Tawk” in 2011, all the while knowing there is no proven distribution formula to make a lot of money on the internet just yet! I made this choice to get my brand out to the world! Let’s just say, I will not be spending thousands of more dollars, until someone “shows me the money”!!!

KG: Who are your movie heroes & heroines?

BL: My idols are Elizabeth Taylor and Mae West. They were two beautiful, tough broads! (she smiles) I am constantly in awe of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro…especially their early work.

KG: You remind me of a young Ingrid Pitt, beautiful lady with a wicked sense of humor, worked on Hammered. She was doing "Where Eagles Dare, when Clint Eastwood & Richard Burton told her they had a bet which one would get her in the sack first she floored them both when she mischieviously asked "Who won?"... Do you like to play around; I mean have a laugh on set?

BL: Wow…what a compliment! Now, if I only had her career and long legs ;) I am very playful by nature and I love to have fun, but I will tell you that I am very serious when I am working. I am very committed to my work and when I need to focus, don’t mess with me! (she smiles)

KG: Wouldn't dream of it. Are there any experienced directors that you haven't worked with, say famous for Horror, say not sitting a million miles away that you would like to work with?

BL: Well, there is this Kensington Gore fellow…oh, not in a different country…okay!  Of course, there are so many fantastic young horror directors I dream of working with someday, including Rob Zombie, Darren Lynn Bousman, Adam Green, Eli Roth, James Wan and Neil Marshall. I would kill to work with some of the veterans like John Carpenter, Wes Craven or Don Coscarelli.

KG: Is there any role, big or small, that you always wanted to play but not had the chance yet?

KG: You would play all those roles with aplomb. Ms. Vampy, had her TV show and an online talk show, with lots of bite, if you don't mind me saying? I was offered a talk show on the BBC recently about horror but they refused to put me in HD, said I was too scary. Would you do your show in HD or 3-D? Things jumping out at you! (at this point I jumped at Ms. Lewis, scared her slightly but think it was more the fact my towel slipped from around my waist but I still managed to keep it up with no hands)

BL: Okay, my hands are covering my eyes! Maybe I peeked for a second ;) Since we shot both Ms. Vampy series in HD, I have no issue having it shown in HD (as long as my makeup artist covers my flaws!), but 3-D? I have no interest! I am so old school when it comes to film and TV.

KG: Ms. Vampy intrigues me. Horror has more than its fair share of knockers, the thought of playing a horror icon character that is a positive role model attracts me, what attracts you to Ms. Vampy?

BL: Ms. Vampy is my alter ego and represents the sass and courage that is deep inside Brooke! "Ms. Vampy is America's funniest, sassiest and most high maintenance vampire! Her personality is as big as her hair and is often described as Betty Boop meets Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny". She loves pleather and fur and wouldn't be caught "dead" without high heels! But, there's much more to this loveable vampiress from Brooklyn. Following the hit web series "Ms. Vampy" in 2009 and as a prelude to the Halloween Family feature "Vamp It Out", Ms. Vampy is back with "Ms. Vampy's Tween Tawk, Teen Tawk & In Between Tawk" to inspire tween and teen girls in a "tawk" show format, which covers issues that these girls are faced with today. Discussion topics include: Stereotypes; Body image; Self-esteem; Peer pressure; Caring about what others think of you; Being popular; Facing your fears; Following your dreams; And, of course, boys and "Twilight"!" This is the most special project I've created! I want to inspire girls of all ages. I'm still a teenage girl at heart who deals with her own issues and insecurities and if I can make a difference in the lives of tweens and teens today, then I have done my job. VAMP IT OUT!

KG: Inspiring talk like that makes me feel like a "teenager at heart" I've heard Ms Vampy goes way back. Further back than the seats in my car. I've got an Aston Martin just like the kind James Bond drove, minus the ejector-seat of course. I know you are not supposed to ask a lady her age but how far back does she go? How old is the lovely Ms. Vampy?

BL: Yes, you never ask a lady Vampire her age ;) Let’s just say she is around 100 and sexy as ever!

KG: Well she's a very sexy centenarian for sure. Ms. Vampy is a bit of an "agony aunt" we call it, in US "Dear Abby" type figure. I have a letter from one of my viewers in London, he's in his mid 70's called K-let's just call him Benny... anyway "BENNY" has developed a crush on an older woman. How can he get her attention and what would be the best date he could take her on?

BL: “Benny” should send her Godiva Chocolates, take her out for Bloody Marys, then fly her to Transylvania for breakfast!

KG: I'm told you are a big fan of the Eagles, do you have a favorite? Bald Eagle perhaps?

BL: I only have eyes for my Philadelphia Eagles!!!

KG: And long may they fly high like you do and will continue to do as an actress, producer and undisputed truly lovely, inspirational "Scream Queen."

BL: Awww, thanks Kenny.

KG: Before, you go. A little bird tells me, well it was my researcher Marc Maeder he's a big fan but don't worry not the kind you have to get a restraining order on. Anyway Marc told me that you absolutely love a red velvet cake. So I whipped you up, (I reached under the sauna bench for a cardboard cake box) Ta da a red velvet cake! Now (and at this point I reached under my towel) would you like something to go with your cake, squirty cream?!

At this point Ms. Lewis said she was feeling ill, think she was a little dehydrated and a little over come with meeting a film legend like what I am. She quickly made her excuses and left the sauna, in fact left the health club as I tried to track her down to return her towel that got stuck on a nail when she dashed out of the sauna. I was so disappointed that I didn't have time to give her the standing ovation on her exit!

She also forgot her cake which had kind of melted and gone off a bit at this point probably due to the temperatures in the sauna. But I gave it a god squirt of Anchor cream from the can I had hid under my towel and it didn't taste half bad. The fact I had food poisoning for a week after that I'm sure was just a coincidence.

Please follow the fantastic actress and great sport that is Brooke Lewis: